Gorgoneion
The society of the Thadrakos families is one filled with balances of power, deals behind closed doors and a legion of promises (some of each may even be kept). During times of war, as the fleets and armies of the Thadrakos nations march forth to face their foes and earn more slaves and resources, commanders, admirals and other high officers of the five families meet to decide the main strategies of the war. One by one, high ranking members of the military expose their strategies, each of which will be analyzed without mercy for even the most minor of mistakes or drawbacks. Once the plan is chosen, it is time to seek the Thadrakos who would be granted the Gorgoneion. While it is true that members of the five families value greatly their right to vote, even in times of war, they also admit that armies work better when it is one voice which is giving the orders, instead of many. Because of this, a Thadrakos amongst them of tested skill and experience will be granted the helmet of command, an ancient relic of the time before the alliance between the families. He or she who wears the gorgoneion is given the trust of all five families and may lead the concert of war following the strategy given by the council of officers. Commanding both fleet and land armies, the power of the Gorgoneion is great indeed. Should the Thadrakos wearing the helmet wish to, planets under the control of the families will equip his armies, cities will be turned into fortresses and slaves into levies. As the representative chosen by the five families, the power of the Gorgoneion (the title of the Thadrakos matches that of the helmet he or she wears) is rarely questioned. To challenge the Gorgoneion is to challenge the five families themselves, something only a fool would dare to do. Despite all of this, few of those who wear the Gorgoneion sleep easyily. The snakes who crawl and hiss on the crown of the helmet and slide down its sides are not only decorative, but also represent those who have chosen the wielder of the helmet. While these snakes will obey and fight for the wielder, the moment he does something against their common will, they will sink their fangs into his face, killing him with the poison of a dozen bites. Because of this, the Thadrakos wearing this helmet walks over very thin ice, trying to conduct a war without stepping out of line. When the war ends, the wielder of the Gorgoneion must return the helmet to the homeworld of the Thadrakos, thus giving back the supreme powers lended to him or her by the families. Until now, all of those who have worn the helmet have given it back, yet still the five families secretly live in fear of the time when that does not happen and a Thadrakos, stupid and ambitious enough, preserved the helmet and decides to use his powers to exterminate the families until only one remains. Category:Thadrakos Families Category:Objects, tools and materials